Homemade Christmas gifts

There are only two days until Christmas!  I hope you all are enjoying the season.  This year, I decided to try my hand at making some homemade Christmas gifts. In addition to the usual cookies and cakes, I wanted to give something a little different.  This year's homemade Christmas gifts are...

...little jars of Orange Marmalade!  I followed an easy recipe from a book my friend gave me, and this was the end result! Each jar was a little plain on it's own, so I decorated them.  I covered the tops with fabric tied a cute little label on them, and added a cute little decoration to it too.  

Well, what do you all think?  I just hope they taste as good as they look. *fingers crossed*

Something tells me this won't be the last time I try canning. Here's the book my friend gave me.

 I can't wait to try more recipes!  

  Merry Christmas every one!  

My Wish List

Christmas is right around the corner, and although I would love to say that I am prepared with gifts purchase, wrapped and under the tree... I'm not! I am still struggling to figure out some gift ideas for my friends and family...  and I only just finished my own wish list!  So I figured that I would share some of my gift wishes with you.  Perhaps if you are as stumped as I am as to what to get people, maybe my wish list will inspire you and give you some good ideas.  Good luck!

This is the Fossil crossbody bag that's I've been wanting.  Crossbody bags are in this season, and are practical.  It is the perfect gift for the girl on the go.

Lollia Wish no. 22 Perfume is a lovely scent that is perfect for winter or summer.  It is a light, clean, flowery and sweet. 

Another Kat Von D's True Romance eye palette is next on my list.  I have other eye shadows by Kat Von D and they are fantastic.  you can't go wrong with any of her products!  They are a great stocking stuffer!

Sephora's perfect ten brush set is also a great stocking stuffer.  I love this particular set  because it is travel friendly.  It has all the essential brushes in a convenient  pouch which is small enough to toss into your bag.  Plus, I own many Sephora brushes and love the quality for the price.

Skagen watches are also a fantastic choice for a gift.  These watches are affordable, stylish and well made.  I absolutely love their products. 

I absolutely love the new Nano!  It's smaller and still holds a ton of songs!  It's a great gift for anyone!  Plus is comes in 6 different colors!

The Sony Digital Reader is also a great gift!  If you know someone who is an avid reader like me,  this is a great gift!  It's is small way to carry an entire library with you!  Plus the size of it is compact enough that in fits into most handbags!  Again, this product also comes in numerous different colors.  My personal choice however is pink ;)

Finally, I just discovered this gift, and I have to have it!  If you know anyone who is obsessed with nail polishes this is the gift for them!   Sephora by OPI has come out with an 18 piece mini nail color set.

So that rounds up my wish list this year.  I hope this helped if you were stumped on what to get someone this year.  

What are some of you wish list items?

Benefits of Sleep: Beauty From the Inside Out Part Two

        The benefits of sleep are more important than you might think.  Sleep has a critical role in brain functions like, memory and learning, and body functions like metabolism and immune system. The benefits of sleep can also pertain to your skin as well.  

An important growth hormone is released during sleep.  It is called (HGH).  This hormone stimulates tissue repair, and in some studies has shown to improve skin firmness and signs of aging.  HGH is also beneficial in repairing sun damage.  By getting enough sleep, your body is able to produce this hormone, and your skin will thank you for it.   

On the opposite side of the coin, lack of sleep can also affect your skin.  Not only is HGH production inhibited, but lack of sleep causes undue stress on the body.  Stress can give your skin an overall tired look.  Your skin can look dull.  Lack of sleep alters collagen production and blood circulation resulting in puffiness or dark circles under your eyes, and blotchiness. 

Beside your skin looking poorly, studies have shown that lack of sleep is also a factor in heart problems, increased chance of obesity, depression and some chronic illnesses.  When talking about beauty, both body and mind should be included.  So, improving or eliminating some of issues above just by getting a few more hours of sleep can improve your overall health, beauty, and well being.  

How much sleep is just right?  Well, everyone is different, but recent studies show that the average adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep. So, if you can’t sleep in, set your Tivo to record your favorite shows and go to bed early.   ;)  

Beauty From the Inside Out Part One: Water and Your Skin

We’ve all heard the reports about the importance of drinking at least 8 cups of water a day.  But do you know why? It’s because our bodies expel at least 8 cups of water with the simple daily functions of perspiring (not including the sweat from exercise), using the bathroom, and breathing.  For our bodies to function properly, we need at least that much to replenish what we’ve lost.  

Drinking eight glasses of water means just that:  WATER.  It does not mean liquid.  Coffee, tea and soda are not included in these 8 glasses, and shouldn’t be either.  These drinks can add to your skin’s tired look and prevent your body from absorbing essential vitamins.  Coffee actually works against your efforts of hydration because it is a natural diuretic.  These caffeinated drinks may seem like a way to gain energy or wake up, but after a few days without them your body will loose its dependency on the caffein, and you will feel better without them.  With less caffein, your body will be able to sleep better, you should feel more rested (also a plus for your skin) and you dependency on caffein will be a thing of the past.

But there are other benefits to drinking 8 glasses of water (or more) a day too.

When you increase your water intake, toxins which build up in your body are flushed out more readily.  Your skin which might look dull or tired will start to look brighter, and firmer as you increase you water intake.  Dark under eye circles, and dry skin will also diminish.  

Drinking that much water makes you bloated and visit the bathroom more... Right?  Wrong!  While increasing you water intake, your body may want to retain the water you drink, and you might start to feel bloated, or you might be making extra trips to the ladies room. But not to worry.  These symptoms will quickly disappear once your 8 glasses of water a day becomes an every day routine.

If you’re as busy as I am, stopping every few hours to find a drinking fountain or buy another bottle of water may be difficult.  But there are solutions to these too.  Bring your water with you!  Sigg bottles, and Platypus bottles are two of my favorite ways to bring my water with me.  An added plus is that both of these products are better for the environment too!  Reusable water bottles mean that there are less plastic-one-use- bottles in the land fill.   

So that’s it ladies.  No more excuses! Drink the recommended amount of water a day, replenish your cells, flush out the toxins and start feeling and looking better.  Cheers!

Beauty From The Inside Out

We spend so much time putting things on our skin to make them look better.  We buy expensive creams to help dry skin, wrinkles, and dark circles. We use make up to help our skin tone look brighter, and we spend additional money at spas and salons to have expensive treatments in hopes they will help improve our skin as well.  One of the most important factors in how our skin looks isn’t what we put on it, but what we put in our bodies.

If your skin looks dull, dry, and tired, it is your body’s way of telling you that it isn’t getting all of the nutrients it needs.  No matter how much time and money is spend on creams, makeup and treatments, it’s not fixing the problem but only covering it up.   Changing some habits and incorporating new healthy routines can have positive results, and improve not only your skin but maybe your health as well.  The next few articles are part of a series I will be doing called Beauty From the Inside Out. We will explore everything from stress and sleep to food and water and how these factors influence our skin’s appearance. So come along for the ride, and let’s put our best face forward.  

Review: Kiss Everlasting French Nails

    Normally I don’t use fake nails because my own nails are usually nice, but lately I’ve had a string of bad luck with my own nails breaking and chipping.  :(  I wanted my nails to look nice for an event recently, and I didn’t want to spend a lot by going to the salon.   So, I decided to try Kiss Everlasting French nails. I chose the medium length. 

    The package includes 24 nails in 12 different sizes.  This was perfect because I was able to match the right size fake nail to my own nail.  The little bottle of glue is included too.   Application can be a little tricky.  You have to put glue on the fake nail and then apply it to your own nail.  This must be done carefully!  The glue sets very quickly.  If you are not talented with working with small items (like me), using a pair of tweezers to place the nail over your own can help.  Just make sure the glue does not come in contact with the tweezers. The trick to making these nails look more like salon quality and not out of a box is how you apply them to your nail.  I would recommend soaking your hands in warm water first, and pushing back your cuticles.  Then, when applying the nail push the end of the nail under you cuticle just a little.  When this is done right, you can’t see the edge of the fake nail, and they look more professionally done.
    ...And what did I think of the end result?...  Well, see for yourself.

 

Overall I was really impressed with the quality and durability of the nails.  For a fast manicure that only costs about 5 bucks, they are totally worth it.  They lasted about 5 days before the first one popped off, but I’m hard on my hands, and I’m surprised they lasted that long.  Besides, the instructions only recommend wearing these nails for 7 days.  I’m glad I took the chance, and got them.  So if you’re bored and need a little pick-me-up, but don’t want to spend a ton at the salon,  try out a pair of these nails. 
 They’re fun. 
        




  

Urban Decay Naked Palette

By far the Urban Decay Naked Palette is my favorite purchase in recent months. The twelve neutral shadows are perfect for all occasions day to night.  My favorite smokey eye can be created with Creep, Gunmetal and Virgin.  This combination has been my go to look for evenings out.  During the day, I’ve found my favorite eyeshadow look is very simple.  Smog in the outer corner and under the eye,and a quick sweep of Naked over the lid.  Fast and pretty.

The dual 24-7 eye liners are a big bonus too.  They are a smooth formulation, with a great color pay off.  When used in combination with the Urban Decay Primer Potion (also included in the Naked Palette) they stay all day without smudging.  

The Palette, Eyeliners and Primer Potion are sold together for $44.00 and is well worth it!  

It's been a long time!

Hello all!  I know I’ve been away for a very long time!  I can’t believe my last post was in April!  So much has happened since then. Between vacation time, summer jobs, and finishing up the school year, I’ve stayed very busy.  Perhaps the best part of this year however is that I finally graduated, and have my Masters Degree. *Celebration Dance*

With my life finally settling into a new routine, I can focus again on my love of all things shopping related!  And, I think with the current economic conditions, we all can benefit from fashion and makeup tips and tricks which help us save money.  I’ve learned a lot in the past few months, and I’ve discovered many items which I love, and some which I wish I had left on the shelf.  So, with that said, in the next few weeks I will try my best to catch you all up on the products I’ve discovered in the past few months.  

Sad But True

I have some sad news out there for all you makeup lovers!  Max Factor Products will no longer be available in the US.  :(  I just visited their website http://www.maxfactor.com and I saw this announcement:

Am I the only one that didn't know this?  I am sad to see them go.   This particular ad encourages Max Factor customers to try CoverGirl products in their absence.  That's all well and good, and CoverGirl is great, but it's not the same.  Max Factor offers a few unique products. Hopefully CoverGirl will start carrying similar items.

So, if you are a fan of Max Factor, get it while you can before it's gone.  You can still find Max Factor at some Ulta stores, Walmart and CVS.

Have you seen this???!!!

Ladies the best little combo pack is here!  I was at Sephora the other day helping a friend look for new makeup colors.  I promised my self I wasn't going to buy anything, and then I saw this:




It was $35.00 and what was most impressive is the fact that all the products are their full size!  I couldn't believe it.  When Hoola on its own is 28.00, I had no choice to but to get it.   It was like getting 3 products virtually for free!  Plus it comes in a really cute travel pouch.  This "Legally Bronze" kit includes full sizes of the following; Hoola Bronzer,  High Beam, Gilded (a golden pencil great for eyes), and Bad Gal Mascara in brown.   
I think you are all familiar with Benefit cosmetics, and their quality.  So I don't even need to stress how fantastic this find is.  I'm thrilled with my purchase.  I can't wait for the summer, so I can show off my new bronzed goddess look!   So bring on the sun! I'm ready to shine. 

Busy Little Bee/ Ins and Outs

Hi everyone!  I know it's been a while since my last post.  With this being my last semester in grad school, I barely have time for anything other than school work.  But, since I had a moment, I thought I'd pop in and share February's Ins and Outs.

Let's start with

IN
I am LOVING!...  The sunny/ warm weather!  Hooray for California weather finally kicking in. (lets hope it lasts a little while)
Three day weekend  shopping trips to Portland!  No sales tax in Portland plus President's Day sales made shopping extra fun!
Finding out Loreal cosmetics are on sale, and saving an $1.00 with a coupon!  (Their new face wash is awesome!  I'll blog about it soon.)
Having a small amount of time to paint my toes :)

OUT
Having a pesky sore throat :(
Knowing it's beautiful and sunny out side and being stuck inside all day reading.
Long lines at the Airport Security check point because the people in front of you slow the ling up by doing one of the following:
A) Forgetting to take their shoes off.
B) Not taking their laptop out of their bag.
C) Forgetting to remove their outer jacket
D) think they can carry on the 8 ounce bottle of hair gel instead of the 3 ounce one in a plastic bag.
E) ALL OF THE ABOVE!  ugh what a nightmare!
Coming home (late) from a three day weekend and realizing you have to do laundry because you have nothing to wear tomorrow.  I need to learn to plan ahead!

Anyhoo-  I hope you all had a wonderful three day weekend, and a lovely Valentines Day!
*HUGS*
Jen



 

It's here!

Hello ladies!  I know I promised a little review of the Alice in Wonderland pallet from Urban Decay... So here it is!
I'm not going to go in to too much detail regarding the packaging.  I'm sure most of you are familiar with what it looks like, and needless to say, the photos speak for themselves.

What I do want to talk about is the eyeshadows.  The color payoff is amazing, and they are so easy to work with.  I also love this pallet because of the variety of colors. Normally, I tend to gravitate toward neutral tones, rarely do I select blues, and greens. Recently I have been branching out, and this pallet was a perfect opportunity to try  some new exciting and vibrant colors.  Dare I say the blue eyeshadow which is fittingly named "Alice" is one of my favorites!  

This pallet was definitely worth the wait, no matter how impatient I was.   I also have to give Urban Decay extra points for the creativity of the eyeshadow names, and the overall imaginative Wonderland packaging!  Get one before these limited edition pallets are gone!  I got mine at Sephora for $52.00 and it's worth every penny!

While I have you attention, I would also like to share yet another Kat Von D pallet I purchased with some of my birthday money.  The last few times I've been in Sephora I did not notice this particular pallet.  I am assuming that it is new...??? and the colors are perfect for spring!  This pallet is called Memento Mori.

 

I like this pallet for the same reasons I like the Alice in Wonderland pallet... the vibrant colors.  Plus as I've discussed in a previous blog, I really like the quality of the Kat Von D eyeshadows. I was so excited to see this new pallet I didn't think twice about purchasing it.  I just though I would share my new discovery with you :)

I also want to thank Brianne from Winks Photography for taking the amazing photos of my little eyeshadow collection! Her photographs give a true representation of the eyeshadow colors. Great Job Brianne! Thank you :)  Visit her website at http://winksphoto.blogspot.com/

Well ladies that's it for now.  Have any of you tried these products?  What are your thoughts?

Happy Friday everyone!

Just a little update on my life.  The new semester has started, and hopefully I will graduate at the end of this one.  I will keep you all posted.

As for the "to be continued" from my last post, I have some great news!  I went to Sephora again today and... they had the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland pallet!  Yippee!  (happy dance)...  I also purchased a few other things with some of my birthday money.  I will have a haul blog in a day or so, but for now I just wanted to share the great news.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend.  Talk to you soon  ;)   *HUGS*

Mad as a Hatter!

As a few of you possibly know, I have been waiting and waiting for the Alice in Wonderland pallet from Urban Decay to hit stores.  Other bloggers and youtubers (far more popular than I) received the Alice in Wonderland pallet  early, so that they could share their opinions and reviews with the rest of us make-up-aholics.  Well, the reviews I saw only made me want the pallet more and more... I just couldn't take it. I'm sure the lady on the other end of the phone at Sephora was tired of my calls asking if it had come in yet too!  Alas, I still do not have one in my possession, which is a huge birthday disappointment! (Yes my birthday was a few days ago...)  So, to cheer myself up I purchased a small Alice in Wonderland related makeup item.  The OPI Alice in Wonderland Mini Nail Lacquers.  

The colors from left to right are:  Absolutely Alice, Thanks So Muchness!, Off With Her Red!, and Mad as a Hatter.

So far I love all of the colors, but the one which I am particularly excited about is Mad as a Hatter.  The photo above unfortunately does not do it justice.  It has some silver and black in the sparkly polish, but it catches a rainbow of colors to boot!  I think it is a perfect pedicure color!

Although my insanity over the Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland pallet is slightly subdued by my recent purchase, it is in no way cured...

 to be continued!

Totally Crazy! But hear me out!

Hi girls!  I have a product I want to share with you.  But before I say what it is, I want to say that the first time I heard about using this product I was really skeptical!  But, I saw enough youtube videos, and read a few other blogs and all the girls were saying the same thing.  This product really works.

We’ve all experienced our applied eyeshadow disappearing, creasing, and generally not looking as fresh in the evening as it did when we first applied it in the morning.   In the past, I’ve used Urban Decay’s primer potion to remedy this problem.  It is a great product.  I’m to arguing that it isn’t.  However is it a bit pricy, and the packaging makes it a bit difficult to get the last little bit of the product out. 

So, I tried the product that the other girls were talking about. I was surprised.  It worked so well!  By the end of the day, my eyeshadow still looked as fresh as it did 10 hours before!   

So girls... are you ready to know what it is....

 drum role please...

Monistat Chaffing Relief Powder Gel!  Wait!  Before you think I’ve totally lost it... let me explain...

First, it is not a medication.  There is no medication in the product whatsoever!  The only ingredient in Monistat Chaffing Relief Powder Gel is Dimethicone.

Dimethicone is a non greasy skin protectant which dries to a powdery finish.  It is colorless and odorless.    Although Monistat uses Dimethicone as a solution for chaffing, it is actually used in a wide array of beauty supplies.  According to http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ Dimethicone is a silicone based product that is used in many cosmetics, lotions, hair shampoos, as well as other hair supplies.  Dimethicone is used as a hair protectant, skin protectant, hair conditioner, skin conditioner and surface modifier.  

After doing this research I went on a Dimethicone easter egg hunt, and found that it is in my conditioner, a few of my hand lotions and... Lancome La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer!   Oh Yes Ladies! Lancome’s makeup primer at $42.00 a pop consists of two ingredients; Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone Crosspolymer.  So, Dimethicone is already used as a makeup primer by other highly respected cosmetic manufacturers!  

So ladies,  although I love Lancome, in this particular case I can not see my self spending $42.00 for the same ingredient which Monistat sells for $7.50.   If you want your eyeshadow to stay on all day, ignore the name of the product, and try the Monistat Chaffing Relief Powder Gel. Call me crazy if you want, but it really works!

Moroccan Oil

Today I wanted to talk about Moroccan Oil, a new hair treatment that I have been loving.  I have heard mixed reviews about this product, from other blogs, and youtube videos. For the most part, the reviews are positive.  The negative ones that I heard say that this product leaves your hair heavy or greasy.   So, when I purchased a bottle, I got the small one only because if I didn't like it, I didn't waste my money on product I wouldn't use.  Now, I am wishing I had purchased the larger bottle.

I love this product!  It leaves my hair silky and shiny without needing to use a lot of product. Even after straightening my hair, it is still soft, and it does not feel dried out. I've been using this product for about a week, and I really think it has helped the condition of my hair.  

I can understand how people have been saying that this product leaves their hair greasy or heavy. However I think it is because they might be using too much.  I have very long hair, and I use less that a dime sized amount.  I also focus using this product on the ends of my hair and work my way up. I try to avoid the hair closest to my scalp.   A little goes a long way.  

If you have tried this product in the past, and did not like it for the above reasons, I encourage you to try it again. Experiment with the amount you use. You might just be surprised.

Sephora in Warm Tones, and my new all time favorite... Kat Von D!

Hello Ladies :)
I hope the New Year is treating you well, and that you haven't broken your New Year's Resolutions... yet ;)

Today, I wanted to talk about two pallets I got from Sephora around Christmas.   They are the Kat Von D eyeshadow pallet in Beethoven, and the Sephora pallet in warm tones.   First off, lets review the Sephora pallet:

This was one of their products during the Christmas season, and it was priced at only $18.00.  It includes one blush, eight eyeshadows, four lip glosses and a mirror.  For the price, it is a really nice pallet.  The colors are pigmented well, the glosses are not sticky.  (I'm not a big fan of sticky lip glosses.)

The top row of eyeshadows are what I used the most during the holidays.  The colors remind me of the Body Shop Shimmer Cube Pallet in #06, but are slightly richer and more vibrant.   I've used most everything in the pallet except the two glosses on the far right, and I am pleased with their quality.

Although the pallet is great, I find my self gravitating to the eyeshadows the most.  The blush and the glosses are nice and will be used, but are not my favorite part of the pallet.  What's nice about this pallet is that it is compact, making it a perfect all-in-one makeup pallet for traveling.

And now on to a new favorite... the Kat Von D eyeshadow pallet in Beethoven!!!

This pallet is a dream!  I absolutely love all the colors! They are super pigmented and easy to blend. Dare I say these eyeshadows are comparable to MAC eyeshadow quality, but less expensive.

The whole pallet comes with eight shadows.  Each individual shadow is 0.05 oz.  (So that is a total of 0.4 oz of total product) The Kat Von D pallet costs $34.00. That is an amazing deal for the amount of product you get, and in such beautiful colors too.   To get the equivalent amount of product in MAC would be slightly pricier...

The Kat Von D pallets also comes with two little brushes. Although they are cute, they are very small and not too useful.  They are almost not necessary.   With that being said, this product is a favorite of mine.  I will definitely be purchasing the other eyeshadow pallets soon!  I can't express how excited I am about this product.  Girls, you just have to try it!

That's all for now :)  Have a beautiful day!

Review of Sephora's glitter eyeshadow applicator.

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, and had fun last night.

As promised, I wanted to give you a review of the glitter eyeshadow applicator I purchased from Sephora. 

The label states that it helps prevent glitter from falling where it is not wanted while applying it to the lid.   Regular brushes supposedly create more fallout, while this silicone applicator holds the glitter until it adheres to the eyelid.
To test it, I chose one of my favorite holiday eyeshadows: Urban Decay's Midnight Coyboy Rides Again. Although I love this shadow, I tend to struggle with it because there is usually a TON of glitter fallout.

Usually, I apply this eyeshadow with my ring finger and press in into my lid.  I have never been able to successfully use a brush with this eyeshadow without getting glitter on my cheeks as well.  This was a true test for Sephora's silicone applicator.

I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It does lessen the amount of glitter fallout. Dare I say it is comparable to the amount of fallout I get when using my ring finger to apply the shadow.  Although the fallout is less than a traditional brush, and a bit more sanitary than using my finger, there is a down side to this brush.  I found it takes a few more layers of shadow to build up the same payoff of color and sparkle when using the brush instead of applying it with my finger. (I was able to finally get the same look, it just took a bit longer in the application process).  For a more subtle sparkle this brush is absolutely perfect!

Overall I am happy with the brush... and at only $13.00 why not?